Michael Pollan

Why am I talking about Michael Pollan in my Librarian blog? Why not? I like what he has to say. Here's an article from the April 20th 2008 issue of New York Times Magazine titled "Why Bother?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=4b8f85b0f7e2157a&ex=1209441600&emc=eta1

Planning Story Time Tips

I asked the Children's Librarians at Bellevue what resources they use to plan their story times. Here's what they gave me:

Erin Ostrander said she relies heavily on internet resources. She said she usually will try to find one poem/song/fingerplay in the theme she's working on, then put a part of the first line in to google in quotes. That will get her (usually!) to a results page listing things from other libraries and preschools and she can then pull ideas from those.
Resources for rhymes and things:

http://www.earlyliterature.ecsd.net/resources1.htm
http://www.answerpoint.org/teachers_place/preschool/themes.asp
http://www.preschooleducation.com/topic.shtml
http://www.wcls.org/kids/kidspdf/pssthandbook.pdf
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/book-themes.htm

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/storytime/index.html
http://abc.net.au/children/play/grownup/txsched.htm


http://www.perrypubliclibrary.org/Kids/Programs/Storytime%20themes%2006.htm

http://www.sclibrary.ab.ca/kids/framesets/preschoolersf.htm


Pam Dodson said that when she's looking for themes for story time she'll go to a children's dictionary to look for ideas. Her themes are based on the alphabet so when she gets to a tough letter like Q, U, X, or Y she finds great theme ideas like Quilt, Umbrella, eXercise, and Yoga.

She also gave me a list of books:
The Complete Book of Rhymes, Songs, Poems, Fingerplays, and Chants - Jackie Silberg & Pam Schiller
Creating Readers - Pam Schiller
The Big Book of Stories, Songs, and Sing-Alongs - Beth Maddigan
Musical Games, Fingerplays, and Rhythmic Activities for Early Childhood - Marian Wirth
Lapsit Services for the Very Young - Linda Ernst
Babies in the Library - Jane Marino


I found these titles in the KCLS catalog:
More simply super storytimes : programming ideas for ages 3-6 -Castellano, Marie.
Toddler Storytime Programs - Briggs, Diane.
I'm a Little Teapot! Presenting Preschool Storytime - Cobb, Jane.

Children's Reference May 16th

I subbed at the Bellevue Children's Desk on May 16th. Here are some of the notes I took:


Kindergardner who liked Magic Tree House and Magic School Bus needed books that are at a higher reading level but age appropriate.
I went to the series section to look for series that featured history and science. I found
Geronimo Stilton (had maps and mysteries)
Arthur (good for emotional education/ making friends, etc.)
Star Wars (he liked the star wars cross section books, Caveat- there are several series within the Star Wars name)
My Name is America (history from the perspective of children - this series profiles boys. Another series "Dear America" profiles girls)
Also went to the non-fiction section. We got books on earthquakes because the earthquake in China is in the news right now.


Illustrated version of the Grimm's fairytale "The Fisherman and His Wife" She had a version in a colleciton of Grimm's but it wasn't illustrated. We found several versions.Remember that Grimm's tales often have different titles!

George Shannon is coming to do a school visit and a woman wanted to check out his books. George Shannon has a website with a bibliography - useful! http://www.georgeshannon.org/


Father came in for his 12-year old son who is starting at a new school. He wanted a sort of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for teenagers. I found "Life lists for teens : tips, steps, hints, and how-tos for growing up, getting along, learning, and having fun / Pamela Espeland." A lot of the teen material included information on dating which he didn't really want.
Other books for teens making friends:
The 6 most important decisions you'll ever make: a guide for teens / Sean Covey
Don't sweat the small stuff for teens: simple ways to keep your cool in stressful times / Richard Carlson.
Don't be shy : how to fit in, make friends, and have fun--even if you weren't born outgoing / Claude Clément with Melissa Daly ; illustrated by Christian Quennehen.
I found these under the subject: Teenagers Conduct of Life

Maple Valley Interview May 12th

I had my interview for the teen services position at the Maple Valley Library of the King County Library System on May 12th. They called me the next day to offer me the position! One of the interviewers said that my enthusiasm for teen services really showed in my interview. That made me feel very good.

As part of the interview I booktalked two graphic novels and a non-fiction book:
Fullmetal Alchemist - Hiromu Arakawa
Crossing Midnight - Mike Carey
Left for Dead - Pete Nelson

The amazing thing about the interview was that I was the least nervous I had ever been since I started interviewing (and I had been through many already...)

North Bend Story Times - May 6th

My second round of story times at North Bend I had little help from any other children's librarians. It really made me realize how much time they put into all the details that add value to the story time. Things like the action rhymes and coloring sheets. As a sub I don't have any time to plan these details so I much prefer when the librarian I'm subbing for leaves me booklists, rhymes & songs, and handouts. On the flip side, planning my own story time made me feel more involved!

Toddler Story Time
Opening: Nametags and story basket.
Opening Song and Sign Language: The More We Get Together

First Story: “We’ve All Got Bellybuttons” – Martin, David

Activity: Song: “Do Your Ears Hang Low” Church, Caroline Jayne

Second Story: “I Like Me” – Carlson, Nancy (Big Book)

Activity: Bean Bag song/game “Easy Does It: Activity Songs for Motor Skill Development” - Palmer, Hap

Hand out a bean bag to all the kids AND parents. Play the Bean Bag song on CD.

Third Story: “Whose Nose?” – Rowe, Jeannette

Very few words in this story – play game where you guess the wrong nose.

Activity: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?” – Martin, Bill

Closing Song: If you’re happy and you know it
…pull your ears
…touch your nose
… touch your bellybutton
… say Goodbye!

Dump the story basket on the floor and ask the children to retrieve their names.

Preschool Story Time

Opening:
Hi, Hello, And How Are You?
Song and Sign Language: The More We Get Together

First Story: Harry the Dirty Dog - Zion, Gene

Action Rhyme:
Take me out of the Bathtub - Katz, Alan

Second Story: Mr. Gumpy’s Outing – Burningham, John

Action Ryhme: Row, Row, Row Your Boat (once together, then in a round)

Third Story: (Big Book) Pig in the Pond – Waddell, Martin

Fourth Story: Trout, Trout, Trout - Sayre, April Pulley

Closing Song: If you’re happy and you know it

… take a bath
… row your boat
… splash around
… say goodbye!

North Bend Story Times - April 29th

I subbed at the North Bend Library as a Children's Librarian and did two story times: one for toddlers (2-3 yrs) and one for pre-schoolers (3-5 yrs).

The Children's Librarian at Bellevue helped me put together the toddler storytime:

Toddler Story Time

Opening: Nametags and story basket. The purpose of nametags is for your 2-yr old to be able to identify their first name. Hand out blank nametags and have parent write the child’s name. Then you ask the child to drop their name in the story basket. At the end of storytime the child comes to the basket to find their name and they take it home with them.

Opening Song and Sign Language: The More We Get Together
Interesting note: The mom's really got into the sign language aspect.

The more (sign for “more”)
We get together, together, together (sign for “together”)
The more (sign for “more”)
We get together(sign for “together”)
The happier we’ll be (sign for “happy”)

‘Cause my friends (sign for “my” and “friends”)
Are your Friends (sign for “your” and “friends”)
And your friends (sign for “your” and “friends”)
Are my friends (sign for “my” and “friends”)
(repeat first part)

First Story: “Cosmo Zooms” – Howard, Arthur

Activity: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?” – Martin, Bill

I’m Brown Bear, and all the animals are taped around the room.

I say “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? I see a blue cat looking at me!” And then go to the cat taped on the wall and stick it on one of the children. And then “Blue cat, Blue cat, What do you see?” etc. Until you get to “Mother, Mother what do you see? I see a room full of beautiful children looking at me!” Children, children, what do you see? A brown bear, blue cat… and a mother looking at us. That’s what we see!

Second Story: “I Like Me” – Carlson, Nancy

Activity: Bean Bag song/game game “Easy Does It” - Palmer, Hap

Hand out a bean bag to all the kids AND parents. Play the Bean Bag song on CD.

Third Story: “Hi Pizza Man” – Walter, Virginia

Closing: If You're Happy and You Know It

Dump the story basket on the floor and ask the children to retrieve their names.

Preschool Story Time:

Children's Librarian Pam Dodson from Bellevue helped me put together the preschool story time. She gave me the two action rhymes and a vegetable coloring sheet that the kids loved.

Music CD: Rhythm of the Rocks with Nancy Stewart

Welcome Song: Hi, Hello, and How Are You (to London Bridges

Song and Sign Language: The More We Get Together

First Story: I will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato – Child, Lauren

Action Rhyme:

Vegetable Song (Tune “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”)

Vegetables are good for me, EE-I-EE-I-O
And so I eat them happily, EE-I-EE-I-O
With a carrot here, and a carrot there, here a carrot
there a carrot, everywhere a carrot, carrot.
Vegetables are good for me, EE-I-EE-I-O

(green peas, potato, tomato, etc.)

Second Story: The Wolf’s Chicken Stew – Kasza, Keiko

Action Ryhme:

We Are Vegetables (tune: Mary had a little lamb)

We are pumpkins big and round, big and round, big and round.
We are pumpkins big and round, We like Halloween.

We are broccoli short and stout, short and stout, short and stout.
We are broccoli short and stout, Growing in the ground.

We are corn tall with ears, tall with ears, tall with ears.
We are corn tall with ears, See our yellow glow.

Third Story: The Turnip - Morgan, Pierr

Fourth Story: Jamberry – Degen, Bruce

Closing: If You're Happy and You Know It

Children's Reference

After the Infant Storytime on April 22nd, I had my first shift at the Children's Reference Desk at Bellevue Library. Bellevue Children's is unique at KCLS in that it is a seperate section, so all the quesitons you get are from children or adults on behalf of children. This helps me familiarize myself with the children's collection more quickly than if I was answering a combination of children's and adult questions.

Here are the questions that came up the first day:

1.) A woman holding her 12-month old baby girl asked what movies would be appropriate for her daughter. I recommeded the Reading Rainbow and Weston Woods collections. I wanted to say that movies are not appropriate for a 12-month old, but I didn't know how to say it. I talked about it with the other children's librarian afterward. She said that situation is an opportunity to educate parents about early literacy and suggested saying, "watching movies is not helpful for children under 24 months. Studies have shown that they are not developmentally ready to focus on a screen. Another solution would be to check out a music CD to play in the background while the child plays with toys & board books on a blanket on the floor." If the parent really wants to take home a video, Reading Rainbow and Weston Woods, which feature readings of picture books, are a good choice.

2.) A mother came to the desk and said that her son who is in 4th grade (8-9 yrs old) is reading the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. One of the books referenced Fahrenheit 451 and she was wondering if it was appropriate for a 4th grader to read. Fahrenheit 451 is not age appropriate for a 9-year old because they haven't experienced the world to the extent that they would understand the meaning of the story, even if they had the reading level to understand the words. This is the essence of age appropriate book advisory and seems to be the crux of children's collections services. I remember when I was in 5th grade I read Shakespeare because I had read everything else in the house and I needed something to read. I didn't understand any of it and I hate Shakespeare to this day. Maybe if I approached Shakespeare with a clean slate today, I could enjoy it, but that early exposure did nothing for my appreciation. I looked for other books with a book-burning theme that would be age appropriate. I found one called "I Believe in Unicorns" by Michael Morpurgo, but the reading level was not challenging enough. I ended suggesting the "Gregor the Overlander" series by Suzanne Collins - not for a censorship angle, just because it's good adventure for a 4th grader!

First Infant Storytime

I did my first Infant Storytime at Bellevue on April 22, 2008. The idea behind a storytime for babies ages 6 to 11 months is that a baby's senses are developing very quickly at that stage. Parents can help with this development by stimulating their baby's senses. The librarian instructs parents: "Touch your baby often, and give them things to touch. Sing and speak to them (remember, your baby loves the sound of your voice no matter who else does!). Look at them, and let them look at your face. Move with them: up and down, swaying side to side, turning around." Infant Storytime incorporates the baby's senses as much as possible.

The Storytime consists mostly of nursery rhymes, sung or spoken ryhthmically, and interaction with the baby. I modeled the interaction and rhymes with a baby doll. The picture books chosen feature baby animals. Even though it looks like there is a lot going on with all the rhymes, the whole storytime took barely 20 minutes. (When it was over I was afraid I had done something wrong, but the other librarian said that is the right amount of time - babies can't pay attention for too long.) Afterwards we encourage the mothers to stay and talk to each other - there is nothing booked in the storytime room afterwards so they can stay as long as they like. This gives the moms some adult interaction and time to compare baby notes.

I was nervous at first, but once I relaxed and looked around at all the baby faces, it was really fun. The babies crawl around a little bit and I had to sit on my notes so they wouldn't put them in their mouth. Otherwise it was a very involved and well-mannered group of mommies and babies!

The following is the outline for the infant storytime:

Opening Song: "Hello Song" (to the tune of London Bridges)
Hi, Hello, and How are you?
How are you? How are you?
Hi, Hello, and How are you?
On this lovely morning.

I am fine hope you are too
You are too, your are too.
I am fine hope you are too,
On this lovely morning.

Opening Announcements: Storytime guidelines, why we are here, etc.

Clapping Rhyme: Baby on lap, clap their hands together
Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold,
Peas porridge in the pot 9 days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot 9 days old.

Rolling Rhyme: Roll baby's hands over each other
Rolling, rolling, little hands,
Rolling down the street.
Rolling slowly, Getting faster
Roll, roll, roll, roll, roll!

Bouncing Ryhme: Bounce baby on lap
Acka backa soda cracker,
Acka backa boo.
Acka backa soda cracker,
I love you!

(I have a print out of the rhymes and more detailed interactions.)

Tickle Rhyme:
"Criss Cross Applesauce"

Leg-Crossing Rhyme:
"This is Bill and this is Jill"

First Read-Aloud Story:
Silly Little Goose by Nancy Tafuri

Flying Baby Rhyme:
"Pop Goes the Weasel"

Free Dance: Put on a music CD and let moms stand up and dance around with their baby. I played the CD "Baby-O: Activity Songs for Baby Playtime and Lapsit" by MaryLee Sunseri.

Second Read-Aloud Story:
Who Says Woof? by John Butler

Calming Rhyme:
"These are Baby's Fingers"

Waving Song:
(sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)
Wave to [mommy], wave to [mommy],
Wave, wave, wave,
Wave, wave, wave.
Say [hello] to [mommy], say [hello] to [mommy],
Wave, wave, wave
Wave, wave, wave.

Goodbye song: (to London Bridges)
Bye, goodbye, we'll see you soon.

Don't forget to check out the Mother Goose collection! (J398.8)

I showed some of the mothers to the Mother Goose collection afterwards and to the children's music collection. I said to find a baby CD just look for children's drawings or pictures of babies, or the words, "newborn" or "toddler" on the cover.

My First Reference Shift

I had my first Reference shift at KCLS on March 20th at Mercer Island Library. I was by myself and I did just fine.

The first question came from a study group of highschool boys who needed books about Andreas Vasalius, a 16th century anatomist. Well, of course, they needed the information now and there were no books at Mercer Island for them. So I went to the KCLS databases. I let them know I would be a couple of minutes and that they could return and see what I found. This took the pressure off of me while I searched. They needed two books with biographical information about Vesalius. I found a subject string in ProQuest: Anatomy & Physiology AND Science History, Anatomy & Physiology AND Vesalius, Andreas. The results weren't what the patron needed because they were magazine articles - they needed books. I went to the subject listing for the KCLS databases and found the ones for Health & Medicine. Gale Virtual Reference - Medicine yielded an actual PDF of a book, and Oxford Reference also provided electronic access to books. I made sure the students captured citations of the databases for their bibliography and I felt very good about the search. They got the information they needed - now!

The second question was about a twelve-year-old girl who was looking for an annotated version of the Odyssey (now, of course). Mary Pope Osborne, of the Magic Tree House series, wrote a six-part series of the Odyssey. (1. The One-Eyed Giant 2. The Land of the Dead 3.Sirens and Sea Monsters 4. The Gray-Eyed Goddess 5. Return to Ithaca 6. The Final Battle) There were a couple of them on the shelf that she checked out.

The third question: The print station key pad won't work! I figured out that the Num Lock was on!

Fourth queston: Can you refill the printer with paper? Luckily the librarian showing me around had anticipated this and showed me where the printer key and refill paper were located.

Fifth question: Where's Calvin & Hobbes? from about a seven-year-old girl. Answer: 741.5973WAT

Sixth question: From the same girl looking for an annotated Odyssey: "Do you have the Eflquest graphic novel? The initial search in the KCLS catalog gave confusing results so I went to the Novelist database to look up the series. BINGO! There are actually four different Eflquest series. Once I knew the series the girl wanted it was easier to look and see what we had in the catalog.

Final question: A woman wanted to pay her $50 fine, including a lost book, without receiving a receipt. Apparently she was so mortified that she had lost a book that she didn't want to face the circulation desk. This is where my circulation experience really came in handy. I documented that she didn't want a receipt and then told the circ dept. what had happened.

Goodnight!

Creating Community Online

I went to the Margaret Chisholm "Motivate, Inspire & Lead" Lecture with Aaron Schmidt at Kane Hall tonight. I went to be inspired. I came home inspired.

This is what I took away from Aaron Schmidt's talk. Community building is important to me and creating community online in my role as a public librarian reaffirms that value. How does a public librarian create community online in the Web 2.0 world, or as Aaron referred to it, the "read/write web"? (read/write refers to the fact that people create content as well as consume it)

He touched greatly on the usability factor of libraries Public Access Catalogs (OPAC). This is a dilemna that I remember from classes at the iSchool. Why is it that library catalogs are so user-unfriendly?! Why can't public libraries incorporate some of the white space ideas of Google, some of the search function of Amazon, etc. If we want the catalog to be the portal to the library I think it needs to become uncluttered. How? I don't know.

Feature people - this idea is as old as small town newspapers. Feature the people who use the library on the library website. Feature them prominately. One example he used was how Powell's bookstore features pics of people enjoying books at Powell's in their windows. Upload pictures of patrons on the website. (flickr) Upload digital video of library events. (youtube) Upload patron reviews of books into the public access catalog. (wiki/blog)

The capacity of technology is getting so fast, and small, and inexpensive, that soon there will be less of a digital divide and more of a participation divide. People will be able to afford to own technology but they won't necessarily know how to use it. It is the role of the public library to guide the community through the transition from print materials to digital materials. For citizens to be able to participate in the democratic society they will need to know how to participate in the online community.

He talked about gaming in libraries. How Nintendo's Wii video gaming system is played by seniors and teens. How gaming has the potential to develop collaboration and analyzing skills. A couple video games mentioned: Portal & World of War Craft. Further reading: Halo and Information Literacy, & Summit of Educational Games.

Suggested reading: "Everything Bad is Good: How Today's Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter" by Steven Johnson.

Aaron Schmidt hails from the North Plains library in Oregon. He created the North Plains library website on Wordpress. His blog is called Walking Paper ( at www.walkingpaper.org). Other library websites featured in the lecture: Plymouth State University, and Hennepin County Library System.

I took all of these notes on a 3x3 inch piece of sticky notepaper.

My First Storytime

I did my first Storytime yesterday. Or rather the first Storytime as a substitute Librarian at KCLS. It was at Crossroads and there were about 30 kids aged 3-5. I was substituting, so I met with Franja, the children's librarian at Lake Hills that usually does the storytime. She gave me all her materials and said I could use as much or as little as I wanted to.

She uses a dog puppet named Rowsby with a red scarf cape, and a headband with the letter of the day featured on it. It's rather cute. Rowsby takes items out of the "letter box" (a plush toy mailbox) that feature the letter of the day. Our letter of the day was "T" so she had put a toothbrush, toothpaste, a turtle, a tyranusaurus, and tape in the box.

One thing I've seen other librarians do at storytime, and something Franja does, is give kids paper to write their name on as name tags in the first session. Then the kids leave their name tags and use them again in the next session. I didn't include this ritual and I regretted it. The name tags serve two purposes: it makes the kids feel welcome, and it gives the storyteller the ability to call the child by name when they need to sit down!

At the end of the storytime Franja offers the children a hand stamp with the letter of the day featured. She had supplied me with a tree, a train, and the letter "T". When I was finished I said "Who would like a hand stamp?" and I swear the entire group of kids got up and rushed me! There were kids being pushed over and hands thrust out towards me. It was chaos! I stood up and asked them to form a line but it was too late. Children were crying and desperate for a hand stamp. Next time I will have them form a line first - then offer the hand stamp.

I had made an outline to guide me through the storytime. I'm still green at this and I don't have a rhythm or a routine yet. I got myself started but then I couldn't find my outline! I had prepared well enough so I just winged it, but my face turned scarlet and hot. Oh well, 'tis my dermatological fate to blush easily.

Here's the outline of what I did:

Storytime at Crossroads, 3-12-08
Early Literacy Skill: Letter Knowledge
Letter knowledge is knowing that letters have different names and sounds.
On a flannel board, display cardboard letters. Use carpet squares with featured letter.

I. Introduction

A. If You’re Happy and You Know It (Ending in “Wave Hello)

B. Introduce the Early Literacy skill. “Today we will be singing songs and reading stories, and having fun with the letter T”

C. The dog puppet Rowsby pulled out “T” items from letter box

D. “Where is T?” (sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

II. First story

A. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Mosel – I used a giant book version of this one.

III. Fingerplay: Terry Thumb

IV. Second story

A. Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

V. Fingerplay: Mr. Turkey and Mr. Duck (sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle)

VI. Third Story

A. Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo by Kevin Lewis

VII. Ending

A. Give the children each a die cut of the letter of the day

B. Sing, “Hooray for T” (sung to the tune of the Farmer and the Dell)

Play “I’m going to try and trick you”. If the word starts with T, say ‘Hooray!’ and wave your T. If it doesn’t start with T, keep the letter in your lap.

VIII. Conclusion

A. Sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (5 verses ending in “Wave Goodbye)

B. Give parents Handout for the letter “T”

C. Hand stamp (watch out for the stampede!)

Additional Stories:
Duck in the Truck by Alborough
The Turnip by Morgan
What Newt Could Do for Turtle by London
Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Cowley
Grandpa Toad’s Secrets by Kasza

Song:
“Where is T?” (sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Where is T ? Where is T?
Here I am ! Here I am !
Can you make the T sound ? Can you make the T sound ?
T,T,T / T,T,T

Song:
Hooray for T (sung to the tune of the Farmer and the Dell)

Say Hooray for T
Say Hooray for T
We love to make the T sound
Say Hooray for T

Fingerplay: Terry Thumb

Terry Thumb is up
And Terry Thumb is down
Terry Thumb is dancing
All around the town
Dance him on your shoulder
Dance him on your head
Dance him on your tummy.
Now tuck him into bed.

Fingerplay:

Mr. Turkey and Mr. Duck (sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle)

Mr. Turkey went out one day in bright sunshiny weather
(bring one hand out from behind back)
He met Mr. Duck along the way (bring other hand out )
They stopped to talk together. (hand “talk” to each other)
Gobble, gobble, gobble
Quack!Quack!Quack!
(repeat gobbles and quacks twice)
And then they went back (hide hands)
Quack! (one last surprise quack from duck hand)